Blow-out preventer



`Patented Jan. 5, 1932 ?PATENT OFFICE' MELVIN INGE, OF ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA -BLoWASU'r rREvENTER Application led December 26, 1928. Serial No. 328,342.

rllhis invention has to do with a device for use on wells during drilling, and it is a general object of the invention to provide a device for controlling a well such as a gas well or oil well during drilling.

Wells, 'such as oil wells and gas wells, frel quently blow out or get out of control as they are being drilled, this being due to pressure in the well blowing out through the top of the well casingaround the drilling tools being operated in the well. The pressures encountered rin various localities are very high, and, in many instances` develop very rapidly making it diiiicult and,l in many cases, impossible to controlthe welll with ordinary equipment.

various kinds have been proposed for the purpose ofhcontrolling wells, however, most such devices are not altogether dependable, are jslow to operate, or yhave other disadvantages.

Itis a general object of the present inven-` tion to Provide a control head or blow out preventer of simple, effective, and improved construction. The device of the present invention is compactv and simple in formation, is such as to pack or seal tightly around a drilling tool that may extend into the well, and canbe safely and effectively operated upon short notice.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a device of the character mentioned in which the packing means, operable to engage a-round the drilling tool` is operable Aby fluid pressure, making it possible to effectively control the device from a point remote from the well.

Itis another`object of the invention to provide a device of the character mentioned in which pressure blowing out through the well -'4 casing tends to actuate the packing means to close around a drilling tool, orthe like, that mayrextend into thevwell. Y

Thevarious obects and features of my invention will be best and more fully understood from the following detailed description of a typical form and application of the invention, throughout which description I refer to the accompanying drawings, in which Fig. 1 is a sectional view of the device provided by this invention showing it in operat- Control heads or blow out preventers of ing position on] a well casing during drilling and showing the packing means of the device in a retracted or unactuated position. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the packing means actuated or in position engaging around the drilling tool.

l The device provided by this invention includes, generally, a body A to be applied to a well casing C,- packing means B carried by the body, and means D packing means.

The device is intended to be used on or applied to the upper end of a well casing C and is such as to allow tools T of various kinds to be passed in and out of the casing when the packing means B is retracted, or in an for operating the unactuated position. The device'may be applied to casing C in various manners, for in stance. it may be connected to the casing through a suitable coupling 10, as shown in the drawings. In practice the device is operated generally when drilling tools are being operated in the well, and therefore I will refer to the parts extending through the device and into the casing C as Vbeing drilling tools, it being understood that this term is intended to include any parts or devices that mayaxtend through the device into the cas ing i The body A of the device is fixed on or `applied to the upper end of the casing C and has a central vertical passage 11 through it for the passage of tools T. In the drawings I have illustrated a drill pipe extending through the device.Y The passage 11 which extends through the head preferably corresponds in size to the opening through the casing C so that the device does not operate to prevent passage of tools that' can be handled by the casing. In accordance with` the present invention, a recess 12 is provided .in the wall of the passage l11 to carry the packing means B, the recess being upwardly convergent so that it has an upwardly and inwardly extending wall 13, and a Hat transverse lower end wallor shoulder 14 at the lower end of the wall 13. In the preferred construction the body A is formed of two `separable sections: an upper section 15 and lower section 16. The lineof division between the sections preferably extends through the point of connection betweenmthe wall 13 fand'shoulder 14 of the recess, as shown in the drawings. T have illustrated the sections connected together by means of langes 17 and l have shown a suitable packing ring 18 between the sections to prevent leakage. This form of construction facilitates manufacture and assembly.

The packing means B is carried in the recess 12 of the body A'and is adapted to form tions 19 may be shaped to properly fit or pack around any particular tool T that may be in use. ln the preferred construction ll provide three or -more such packing sections. The packing sections when in the retracted or unactuated position are adjacent the shoulder f for upper and lower packings 21 and 22, re

14 of the recess 12, and, during operation, that is during upward movement of the sections to operating position, the wall 13 moves the sec-- tions inwardly to engage the tool T.

Each packing section 19 may include a metal plate forming a mounting or carrier spectively.. In practice the packings may be bodies of rlibber, or the like, which will operate to conform to the partsthey engage and to seat together making a fluid tight connection between the tool T and the body A whenthe packing is actuated as illustrated in Fig. 2. l

The means D provided for operating the packing means B is a fluid pressure actuated means, preferably a cylinder and piston means. In the preferred form of the invention a cylinder and piston mechanism is provided in connection with, each packing section.19. Each such mechanism includes a` cylinder carried by the body A, a piston 31 operable in the cylinder, a piston rod 32 operatively connecting the piston and. packing section, and iiuid pressurecontrol means in connection with the cylinder. Tn the preferred arrangement the cylinder 30 is carried in an opening 33l provided in the lower body section 16 below the shoulder 14 andA parallel with the wall 13. The upper end of the cylinder may be screw threaded into the f opening 33, as clearly illustrated in the drawings. The piston 31 slidably fits the cylinder 30andthe piston rod 32 isy attached tothe piston and extends through the upper or inner end of thecylinder'to enter the body7 recess 12 where it connects with the packing section 19. A-suitable packing gland 34-is preferably provided at the upper or innerlessees end of the cylinder to pack around the rod 32.

The upper end portions of the several cylinders 30 are connected together by a manifold 35 while the lower end portionsof the cylinders are connected together by a manifold 36. The duid pressure control means may comprise a connection 37 between a pressure supply line 38 and the manifold 35, anda connection 4() between the supply line 38 and the manifold 36. Control valves 41 and 42 are provided in the connections 37 and 40, respectively. Through this arrangement fluid pressure, say, for instance, steam, may be admitted through the connection to the manifold 36 to enter the lower ends of the severall cylinders 30 and thus operate the several pistons simultaneously to move the packing sections 19 upwardly in the recess 12, or when the packing is actuated, the valve 42 in the connection 4() may be closed and the valve 41 in the connection 37y opened, admitting pressure into the manifold 35 to enter the upper end portions of the several cylinders to move the pistons downwardly and to retractr the packing sections. Pet cocks may be prothe manifold 36. The recess 51 is formed so,

that its upper Wallis in the form of a down` wardly and inwardly extending lip 53 which` will-operate to catch fluid passing upwardly throufrh the passage 11. A check valve 54 is provided in the connection 52 to allow pressure to enter the manifold 36 from the recess 51, but to prevent its passage in the opposite direction.` Further, a control valve 55 may be provided in the connection 52 so that the means just described may be shut olf or -put out of operation if so desired. It will also be obvious that when the packing sections 19 have been'started upwardly in the recess 12 upward flow through the body -will tend to carry the packing-'sections upwardly and thus c'ausethem to close in around the tool T.

From the foregoing description it is believed that the operation of the device will be fully understood. During normal drilling operationsthe parts are positioned as shown in Fig. 1, in whichcase the packing sections are retracted and positioned so that they do-not in anyy way interfere with pas'- sage of tools throughthe body. 'Whenever it is desired to packoif, or. close the passage through the bodv A aroundlthe tool T, the valve 42 is opened admitting pressure'into the manifold 36 so that the several pistons 31 ae toy - moved upwardly causing the several packing cated at a point remote from the device or at anyconvenient location. Further, it will be A apparent how the device may be operated through up\ward flow of fluid through the body, such operation being caused by fluid pressure entering the recess 51 passing through the connection 52 and check valve 54 to enter the manifold 36. The valve 55 may be normally left open to allow such operation.

When it is desired to release the packing means from around the tool T, the valve 42 is closed, and, if necessary, the valve 55 is closed, and then the pet cocks are opened. The valve 41 is then opened allowing pressure to enter the manifold 35 to pass to @the upper' ends of the cylinders so that thepistons are moved downwardly, thus returning the packing sections to the retracted position. i

Having described onl aitypical preferred form of my invention, do not wish to limit myself to the specific details set forth, but

wish to reserve to myself any changes or variations that may appear to those skilled in the art or fall within the scope of the following claims: A

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A control device for use on a/well casing including, a body to be connected to the .well casing, the body having an opening through it, there being a convergent recess in the wall of the opening, a sectional packing assembly slidably carried in the recess operable to extend into the o ning, and fluid pressure means to actuate t e packing, said fluid pressure means including, a cylinder carried by the body. a piston operable in thel cylinder, a rod rigidly connecting the piston with the packing, and means for supplying fluid pressure to the cylinder at opposite ends of the piston.

2. A device of the character described including, a body to be applied to a well casing, the body having a tapered passage extending vertically through it, a sectional packing assembly carried 1n the passage adapted to be operated to extend into the passa e, and fluid pressure means to actuate the ac ing including a. cylinder and piston mec anism for operating each packing section, the cylinders being parallel with the walls of the passage.

3. A device of the character described including, a body to be attached to a well caslng, packing slidably carried in a convergent opening extending Tvertically through the body operable to seal around an object extending through the opening, iuid pressure actuated means for operating the packing including, a plurality of cylinders parallel to the walls of said opening,- pistonsjin the cyltending through the opening, fluid pressure actuated means for operating the packing including, a plurality of cylinders parallel with the wall of the opening, pistons in the cyllnders and rigidly connected with the packing,

`a manifold connecting the cylinders-, anda Huid pressure connection between the opening below the packing and the manifold.

5. A device of the character described-including, a body to be attached to a well casing, packing carried in a tapered opening extending vertically through the body o erable to seal around an object extending t rough the opening, fluid pressure actuated means1 for operating the packing including, a plurality of cylinders parallel with the wall of said opening, pistons in the cylinders rigidly connected withthe packing, and a manifold surrounding the body and connecting the cylinders.

6. A control device for use on a. well casin including, a body to be connected to the we casing, the body having a convergent vertical opening, packing slidably carried in the opening to be normally free of an object in the opening and adapted to pack around an object extending into'the opening upon movement in the opening toward its small end, and fluid pressure means for actuating the packing including a cylinder, a piston in the cylinder, and a rod connecting the piston with the packin the rod being parallel to the movement o the packing.

7. A control device for use on a well casing including, a body to be connected to the well casing, the body having a vertical opening with an inclined Wall, packing in the opening operable through sliding engagement with the wall of theopening to seal around an object in the opening, and luid pressure means for operating the packing including acylinder parallel to the wall of the opening, a piston in the cylinder, and a rod rigidly connecting the packing with the piston.

y 8. A control device for use on a well casing including, a bodyA to be connected to the well casing, the body having a vertical convergent opening, a plurality of packin sections in the opening and operable throug sliding engagement with the walls of the opening to seal around an object in thejopening, and means for operating the packing sections 1ncluding a plurality of cyhnders parallel with the walls'of the opening, pistons in the c linders and rods connecting the pistons wit the packing sections.

9. A control device of the character described including, a body adapted to be apibo 4 Leeasee plied to a Well casing, the body having an openin g through it with upwardly convergent walls, packing slidably carried in the Opening operable upon upward movement to seal about an object extending-through the opening, and fluid pressure means for actuating the packing including cylinders parallel with the Walls of the opening, pistons in the cylinders, rods connecting the packing and the pistons, and lneans for supplying fluid under pressure to the opposite ends of the cylinders.

,In Witness that l claim the foregoing l have hereunto subscribed my name this 6th day of Nove1nber,'1928.

MELVIN C. INGE. 

